After running in multiple events throughout the tournament, sophomore Lyndee Dawson and senior Michelle Clark pulled themselves onto the podium of the 3000m finals. Dawson finished first and Clark fifth.

Exceeding Expectations

The NAIA Indoor Championships took place at the David E. Walker Track and Gentry Field in Johnson City, Tenn. from March 3 to March 5. The women’s team placed 10th out of 26 teams participating and the men’s team did not receive a team score. Last season the women placed 30th out of 47 teams while the men’s team finished 47th of 53.

“We exceeded our expectations,” Dawson said. “We came in with a couple of injured girls so we had some people step up and fill in their place and they exceeded everyone’s expectations and yeah, we did really well — guys and girls.”

Throughout the tournament, 13 All-American awards were given to athletes on the women’s team. Three of these awards were given to Dawson, while freshman Hannah Hunsaker, junior Alisa Murray and Clark each earned All-American in two events.

The relay team comprised of Dawson, Clark, Hunsaker and Murray took eighth in the 4x800m relay. Biola also took sixth in the distance medley with teammates Murray, senior Kellian Hunt and sophomore Emily Heisinger.  

Highlights

The highlight of the race however, was during the final day of the tournament in the women’s 3000m in which Dawson and Clark competed.

“I was kind of tired because I had already raced three events previous to that,” Dawson said. “My goal was to just hang on with the top group and the whole time I never led it once until the very end. There was a group of like three or four of us and I just hung in at the very back and just hung on for dear life. And then last, I’d say 150 meters i was like, ‘Okay, I got this, I’ll kick” and then I just went for it.”

Dawson passed her opponents in the final stretch to earn the first individual championship of her career. Clark, who finished fifth, joined her on the podium.

First Experience

“It was so fun,” Dawson said. “I’ve never gotten first in a national event and she’s never placed fifth individually. So for both of us to have our first experience in an individual event, that high on the podium together, that was really exciting.”  

Head coach Sean Henning and his team will shift their focus to the outdoor portion of the track season. The team has a dozen more matches before the Golden State Athletic Conference Championship on April 28. Until that time individuals will work on their scores in an attempt to place and be ready for the NAIA Outdoor Championships on May 26.